Treating hosiery made of synthetic fibers



TREATING HosIERY MADE oF SYNTHETIC FIBERS Filed May 21, 1956 Aug. 19,1958 c. KRoNsBElN All@ 19, 1958 c. KRoNsBElN 2,848,146

TREATING HOSIERY MADE OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21,1956 INVENTOR KRoNsBEIN CURT ATTY.

TREATING HOSIERY MADE OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS Curt Kronsbein, Hagen,Germany, assignor to Emma Elfriede Bellmann, Hagen-Haspe, Ruth Kronsbem,Hagen, and Friedhelm Bellmann, Hagen, Germany Application May 21, 1956,Serial No. 586,200

Claims priority, application Germany June 25, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl.223-51) This invention relates to treating hosiery made of syntheticfibers, and more particularly to an apparatus for performing a specifictreatment of hosiery which may be referred to as pre-xation orpresetting.

The term pro-fixation or pre-setting is intended to cover a processpreceding washing, dyeing and sewing of the hose. The purpose of thisprocess is to impart a certain degree of dimensional stability to thehose to enable suhsequent washing, dyeing, etc. without permanentshrinkage or impairment of the mesh structure.

As a general rule, pre-fixation or pre-setting, washing or scouring anddrying of hosiery are effected in batches. The batch process requiresrelatively much floor space, and relatively complex equipment, andinvolves the danger of damage to the hosiery while in transit, in arelatively fragile state, from one treatment zone to another treatmentzone.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improvedapparatus for pre-setting, washing or scouring and drying of hosieryrequiring relatively little floor space, which apparatus is simple, anddoes away with the inherent danger of damage to fragile hosiery while intransit between treatment zones.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus forpre-setting, washing and drying of hosiery, which apparatus enables toachieve substantially all the advantages of a continuous flow process,and whose operation does not involve any movement of the hosiery undertreatment from one treating Zone to another.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compact apparatusadapted to perform pre-setting, washing and drying of hosiery therein.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthis specification proceeds, and the features of novelty of thisinvention are being pointed out with particularity in the claimsappended to, and forming part of, this specification.

The application of the apparatus according to this invention comprises anumber of steps, namely that of mounting hosiery on individual supports,of accommodating said hosiery while on said supports in a tank, ofsubjecting said hosiery inside of said tank simultaneously to the actionof moisture and heat above 100 deg. C., of admitting a washing orscouring medium into said tank and of producing a relative motionbetween said washing or scouring medium and said hosiery to wash saidhosiery, of draining said washing or scouring medium from said tank, andof thereafter subjecting said hosiery while still on said supportsinside of said tank to a sufliciently high angular velocity to dry saidhosiery by centrifugal action. The aforementioned relative motionbetween the washing or scouring medium and the hosiery may be effectedby moving the hosiery relative to `the washing or scouring medium. As analternative, the hosiery may xedly be suspended in a tank receiving thewashing or scouring medium, and the latter may be subjected tosupersonic Vibrations by means of a supersonic vibrator mounted inntedStates Patent O riice side of the tank and submersed in the washing orscouring medium.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l shows, in part in side elevation, and in part in verticalsection, an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a top-plan view on a relatively smaller scale of the structureshown in Figs. l and 2.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral 1 has been applied to indicate atank substantially in the shape of an oblong cylinder arrangedvertically with the longitudinal axis thereof. Tank 1 is adapted to beheated in either of two ways, i. e. either by admitting steam to asystem of steam pipes 2 arranged at the bottom of tank 1, or byadmitting steam directly into the tank. Pipes 3, 4 and 5 may be used foradmitting uids to the tank, draining fluids from the tank and evacuatingthe tank. Rotatable shaft 7 is mounted inside of tank 1 along thelongitudinal axis thereof. The lower end of shaft? is supported by abearing 7 and the upper end thereof is supported by a bearing 7"combined with a stuing box the packing of which has been designated byreference numeral 10. Motor means including a variable speed drive S aresupported by the top of tank 1 and adapted to drive shaft 7 at differentspeeds, of which one is relatively low and the other relatively high.Perforated drum l1 is arranged inside of tank 1 and supported by shaft 7for joint rotation with shaft 7. Drum 11 comprises a plurality ofperforated partitions l1' subdividing said drum into a plurality oftreating chambers 12. Drum 11 further comprises a plurality ofperforated cylinder-segment-shaped doors 1l". Each treating chamber 12is provided with a separate door 11". A plurality of arms or hanger rods13 are arranged inside drum 11 adjacent to the ceiling thereof andsupported by the ceiling. Arms or hanger rods 13 extend radiallyoutwardly from shaft 7. A plurality of hosiery supports 14, eachsupportingpieces of hosiery 15, are suspended from each arm or hangerrod 13. Fig. 3 shows only the hanger rods 13 in two compartments of drum11. Actually all compartments are provided with hanger rods 13. Tank 1is provided with a large door l shown in the closed position in Fig. 2and in the open position in Fig. 3. Opening of door l gives access toone of doors il and compartments 12 become accessible one after anotherupon successive rotation of drum l1 about angles `of 90 degrees andopening of the individual door 1l of each compartment. Hence compartmentor treating chambers 12 are being charged in sequence and are beingdischarged in sequence.

Reference numeral 16 has been applied to indicate a supersonic vibratorwhich may comprise a magnetostrictive core and an energizing winding forthe core. Such vibrators are of conventional design. and therefore donot need to be described in detail. Vibrator 16 may be used as analternative means for causing relative motion between the liquid insideof tank 1 and the hosiery 15 suspended inside of drum 11. Provision ofvibrator 15 enables to dispense with variable speed drive 8. A one speeddrive taking its place is then used for drying the hosiery within drum11, whereas relative movement between the hosiery 15 and the liquidaround it is achieved by operation of vibrator 16 with drum 1l in xedposition.

The relatively fragile non-pre-set hosiery is mounted on individualshape-maintaining supports 14 which are accommodated in drum il and tankl, respectively. Thereupon the hosiery is simultaneously subjected tothe action of moisture and of heat above deg. C. A washing medium isadmitted into tank Tl and a relative motion between said medium and thehosiery is being produced. This relative motion may be effected eitherby rotation of drum l1 at a relative small speed or by energizing thesupersonic vibrator 16. Either water, or water with a detergent added toit, may be used as washing or scouring medium. When washing is completedthe washing medium is being drained olf tank 1 and thereafter thehosieryi5, While still on the individual shape-maintaining sup ports inside oftank 1 and drum 11, is subjected to a sufficiently high angular velocityto dry the hosiery by centrifugal action.

It will be apparent from lthe foregoing that this process minimizeshandling of the relatively fragile hosiery prior to pre-setting thereofand during pre-setting operations.

Having disclosed a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is desiredthat the same be not limited to the particular means disclosed. It willbe obvious to any person skilled in the art that many modifications andchanges may be made without departing from the broad scope and spirit ofthe invention. Therefore it is desired that the invention be interpretedas broadly as possible and that it be limited only as required by theprior state of the art.

lt is claimed:

l. An apparatus for processing hosiery made of synthetic fiberscomprising a tank substantially in the shape of an oblong cylinderarranged vertically with the longitudinal axis thereof and sucient inlength to' permit suspension of hosiery therein in a stretched outcondition, means for heating the inside of said tank, fluid admittingand fruid draining means `on said tank, a rotatable shaft mounted insideof said tank arranged along said longitudinal axis thereof, motor meansadapted to drive said shaft, a perforated drum arranged inside said tanksupported by said shaft, a plurality of perforated partitions subdividiug said drum into a plurality of treating chambers, a plurality ofperforated cylinder-segment-shaped doors on said drum one for each ofsaid plurality of treating chambers, a plurality of arms arranged insidesaid drum adjacent the ceiling thereof extending radially outwardly fromsaid shaft, a plurality of hosiery supports suspended on each of saidplurality of arms, and one single lateral door on said tank adapted to`expose upon appropriate rotation of said drum each of said plurality ofdoors to give access to each of said plurality of treating chambers.

2. An apparatus as specified in claim 1 wherein said motor means issupported on the top of said tank and associated with a variablespeedvdrive adapted to drive said shaft at different speeds.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,039,660 Reama May 5, 1936 2,333,160 Dunn Nov. Z, 1943 2,463,842 WoodsMar. 8, 1949 2,468,550 Fruth Apr. 26, 1949 2,641,120 Bailey lune 9, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS 1,907,031 France lune 29, 1955

